Haiti Prime Minister Survives Assassination Attempt, Shot Outside Cathedral

Perdana Menteri Haiti Ariel Henry. (Wikimedia Commons / Communication.gouv.ht)

JAKARTA - Gunmen unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry at an event on Saturday to commemorate the Caribbean nation's independence, his office said in a statement.

Henry's office said on Monday "bandits and terrorists" had tried to shoot the prime minister at a church in the northern city of Gonaives, where a ceremony marking the 218th anniversary of independence was taking place.

Video footage posted on social media showed Henry and his entourage rushing to their vehicle, as an armed group opened fire outside the cathedral in Gonaives, citing Reuters January 4.

Local media said one person was killed and two injured in the gunfire. National police could not immediately confirm the victim.

In connection with the incident, the prime minister's office said an arrest warrant had been issued for the suspect who opened fire on Prime Minister Henry's convoy.

The attack has renewed concerns about the safety of officials in Haiti, which has been mired in political turmoil since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July last year.

To note, Ariel Henry, whose government faces increasing challenges to its legitimacy, was sworn in as prime minister nearly two weeks after Moise's murder at the hands of suspected mercenaries.

Until now, Haiti has not set a date to choose a successor to the late President Jovenel Moise.